President Muhammadu has lashed
out at traders who smuggle fake products into the country, accusing them of
choosing profits over patriotism.
He was speaking on Friday when he
received a delegation of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry from Nigeria and
West Africa.
He said the recent closure of
Nigerian borders has seen a decline in counterfeit products “within a short
time”.
Buhari said that was why Nigeria
insisted that the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) must not
emphasise only free trade but also “legal trade of quality made-in-Africa goods
and services”.
In a series of tweets, the
president said: “Today I met with a delegation of Chambers of Commerce and
Industry from Nigeria and West Africa. I assured them of our administration’s
readiness to work with them to bring an end to smuggling and the dumping of
substandard items in West Africa and on the continent.
“It is regrettable there there
are traders who simply do not play by the rules; who choose profits over
patriotism, and whose selfish practices in perpetrating smuggling and
counterfeiting help keep foreign factories working while closing ours.
“We have all heard stories about
the dangerous and sometimes, fatal impact of fake drugs and foods on our
citizens. We have also seen how fake electrical items have led to fires in
homes and markets thereby destroying lives and property.
“Most of these substandard and
illegal items are smuggled through our land borders. After many years of
diplomacy and aggressive regulatory oversight which yielded few results, we
decided to close our land borders for a limited time to assess the impact of
this measure.
“Within a few short weeks since
the partial border closures began, we are already seeing a decline in the
volumes of counterfeit smuggled goods in some of our major markets across the
country.
“This validates our action as a
Government when we insist that the African Continental Free Trade Agreement
must not only promote free trade, but legal trade of quality made-in-Africa
goods and services.
“We will soon finalise the
National Action Committee on the implementation of the AfCFTA. We expect the
organized private sector to continue to support us in achieving a Free Trade
Area that employs Africans to produce high-quality made-in-Africa products.
“Let me also thank NACCIMA for
the honour done to me with the investiture today as their Grand Patron. I will
not let them down. Trade is central to our economy; we are a nation of
traders,and have been for centuries. I will ensure that we continue to give the
sector full support.”
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